[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 16, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H265-H268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       30-SOMETHING WORKING GROUP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is an honor 
to be here on the floor.
  As you know, in the 30-Something Working Group, we come to the floor 
to share information not only with the Members, but also with the 
American people. And I think it's very, very important, now that we are 
in our second day of reconvening after the new year, to wish everyone a 
happy new year, and hopefully we will be very productive on behalf of 
this great country of ours.
  A lot has happened, Mr. Speaker, since my last time on the floor. The 
30-Something Working Group had the opportunity to adjourn the House for 
the year 2007. One of the Members of your class actually had the 
opportunity to hit the gavel, Ms. Yvette Clarke.
  We left, and a lot took place. There are a lot of Presidential 
politics that have taken place since then on both sides of the aisle, 
Republican and Democrat. There has been a lot said. There has been a 
lot of media coverage on different issues. But I can tell you, Mr. 
Speaker, the issue of the economy and the issue of the war in Iraq 
continues to bubble up to the top. The issue of health care continues 
to bubble to the top.
  And also, as we reflect on what took place last year, the closing 
part of last year, it was very frustrating for many Americans because 
one may think that we would have accomplished, when I say ``we,'' those 
of us here in Washington, D.C., I'm including the President of the 
United States and the Congress, to achieve some sort of sensible plan 
as it relates to Iraq, and that was not achieved. More accountability, 
because we have control of the Congress, and I say ``we,'' Democrats 
have control of the Congress, small majority, but control. I had a 
chance to put some accountability measures in an Armed Services mark 
and the Foreign Affairs legislation. We were able to do that, but very 
limited because the President continues to hold on to the 40 
Republicans solid that he needs to withstand a congressional override 
when he vetoes legislation that the American people would like to see 
enacted.
  Even though it had bipartisan support, many pieces of legislation 
dealing with Iraq, also dealing with a number of other issues that are 
important to the American people, the President was able to use his 
veto pen for the first time, many times, and not for the very first 
time, but for the first time that he has been consistent in doing so. 
Sometimes it actually has sent the country backwards when we start 
dealing with issues that we're facing right now.
  I come to the floor with a new spirit and hopefully a new outlook in 
the year 2008 that we will have a better way of working in a bipartisan 
way here in this House and in the Senate and working with the 
President. We can't say that there has not been reaching out, 
especially on behalf of Democrats to Republicans, here in the Congress. 
I can tell you that we have had an opportunity to work with President 
Bush and also congressional Republicans in talking about various issues 
that are facing our economy. We came in and had discussions with 
Secretary Paulson, who is the Secretary of the Treasury, about the 
economy. You will be hearing a lot more from him, Mr. Speaker and 
Members, as we start to approach the date that the President is going 
to release his budget, which will be in the early part of next month. I 
believe it will be the 4th. On February 4 he will be releasing his 
budget, as the date stands now. Well, between now and then there's a 
lot that has to happen. And we're just 12 short days, I must add, Mr. 
Speaker, from the President giving the countdown to the State of the 
Union. Those are the days remaining, the 12 days.
  I can tell you, also, Mr. Speaker and Members, that it's important 
what the President says at the podium just below where you are, Mr. 
Speaker; what he says is going to be very, very important. Not only 
will the United States and the people that work every day, those that 
defend our country that are abroad, but other world leaders will be 
paying attention to what the President has to say. And I'm pretty sure 
he is going to have to say a lot.
  In past State of the Unions, and this will be my sixth opportunity to 
be a part of this Congress and to witness a State of the Union in this 
Chamber, there have been some highlights and there have been a lot of 
disappointments. And I think that we have to plow through that now, Mr. 
Speaker, in a bipartisan way in making sure we do what we must do on 
behalf of the country.
  I say that in the spirit that House Democrats in December had an 
economic forum, talking about the economy, talking about what we need 
to stimulate this economy. You've heard a lot of proposals on the 
campaign trail from Republicans and Democrats and Democrats and 
Republicans. And everyone has a great plan. But I think that it's 
important that those of us that are elected now to govern, that we 
govern, because I don't think the American people can wait until 2009 
to get accountability and to get relief from this government.
  Saying that, I want to commend the administration, the Bush 
administration, that they released $450 million from the Low-Income 
Home Energy Assistance Program. And I can tell you that it's very, very 
important to be able to assist some of our seniors and many of our low-
income. But this money was made available because the Congress put $2.6 
billion into that particular program and funding it in an

[[Page H266]]

appropriations bill that passed in December and increased it by $400 
million. So really, when you look at it, Mr. Speaker, thanks to not 
only a Democratic-led Congress, but also some Republicans that did vote 
in the affirmative to pass this work product out of this Congress, out 
of the $2.6 billion, within that we increased it by $400 million, the 
President released $450 million. I hope that we can continue in this 
spirit, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Americans that are being hit the 
hardest in this economy as we move forward.
  So many times that the administration, the Bush administration, and 
so many times within that 40 that we talk about that the President has 
been holding on to, on many issues that the Congress and Republicans 
here in the House, and we've passed bills with bipartisan support, are 
able to hold on to not being overridden. And I think that it's time, 
it's high time, especially for those Americans that are concerned about 
what happened on Wall Street yesterday, I believe it's 45 points down 
now, I don't know how it's going to close today, but I think it's very, 
very important that we look at what is happening right now, what's 
happening with the mortgage crisis right now in this country, and what 
we must do by leadering up and reaching across the aisle to one another 
to make it happen.

  We have achieved that, Mr. Speaker, in the first session. When I say 
``we,'' I always used to say in the 109th Congress and the 108th 
Congress, bipartisanship is only allowed when the majority allows it to 
happen. And I can say that what I witnessed in the first session of the 
110th Congress, bipartisanship was achieved because you can see that 
there were a number of votes, major votes on major pieces of 
legislation, that was bipartisan in double digit numbers, and sometimes 
three digit numbers, of Republicans voting in favor of major pieces of 
legislation that has passed off this floor and was sent to the 
President. And in some cases, the President vetoed it because we fell 
short of achieving the 40 that he always counts on to help him 
withstand a veto.
  I think it's important, when we start talking about the letter that 
the Speaker and Senator Reid, the leader in the Senate, wrote to the 
President on the 11th of this month talking about energy, talking about 
gas. And I think it's important that the President responds to that, 
because as the President is flying to Saudi Arabia and other places, 
really talking with those leaders because of this very issue here, Mr. 
Speaker. We've gone from January 22, 2001 per gallon price for gas 
$1.47 over today's average of $3.07 per gallon. Now, Mr. Speaker, some 
Members may be saying and some staff may be saying, and I know the 
American people are saying, excuse me, Congressman, you must have the 
wrong number with that $3.07 because just earlier today I've seen gas 
not only here in Washington, D.C., but back in my district that has 
been hit real hard in Florida, upwards of $3.33, and that's just for 
regular unleaded, octane 87. So when you think about it, especially 
those small business men and women that may have an F-10 or what have 
you, that comes up to a lot of dollars.
  And when you think about gas prices, even for those that use mass 
transit and those that are driving hybrids and other vehicles that are 
high mileage vehicles, it hits them, too. But think about when you go 
to the grocery store. That means that milk is going to cost more 
because of transportation costs. Everything will go up. And that's when 
we start talking about an economy that's out of reach for Americans 
that are making just the same as they were making last year or the year 
before.
  And speaking of a bipartisan victory, Mr. Speaker and Members, the 
passage of the minimum wage bill that some in this Congress said over 
their dead body will they see the minimum wage increase, that it was 
increased. And at the same time, because of the respect that the 
majority here in this Congress has for small businesses, that's the 
backbone of our economy, that we were able to also put a package onto 
the minimum wage bill that also provided some relief to small business 
people.
  But I think it's important, Mr. Speaker, and I won't digress into how 
we got to this point because I think that's self-explanatory. I think 
we know that governance has a lot to do with it, and we're trying to 
bring about that kind of change with the passage of the energy bill 
that this House passed in the first session of Congress. But $3.07 is 
something that we must address and that we have to address. And until 
we get to the point, Mr. Speaker, that Republicans are able to work 
along with Democratic leadership, Democratic chairmen, Democratic 
leaders, and not really bringing about the difference between us and 
them and making a political statement, but kind of being under the same 
banner of ``we want to work together.'' And a good step towards that 
direction, Mr. Speaker, was today, seeing the Republican leader stand 
with Speaker Pelosi and also with the majority leader and the whip on 
the Republican side and so on and so on, it's good to see that. I hope 
that that relationship continues. I hope that that effort of coming 
together continues.

                              {time}  1745

  Definitely, the majority has shown, the Democrats have shown, we have 
shown, that we are willing and able to work in a bipartisan way as it 
relates to putting together a stimulus package that would work on 
behalf of all Americans. And I hope that the President shares in that 
theme and that notion that the American people would like to see. And 
we do know the American people would like to see us work in a 
bipartisan way.
  Speaking of that, Mr. Speaker, I talked about the Dow closing 
yesterday, but today the market finished 34 points down, and I can tell 
you that it's been a roller coaster day. And many Americans don't have 
a great understanding of how important the opening and closing of the 
market is, but it has a lot to do with our economy and it also will 
make investors more fearful of going out and doing some of the things 
they have been doing. So we as the government have to step up and rise 
to the occasion on behalf of not only the American people but also in 
making sure that we stand up to keep our economy going for small and 
medium-sized and large businesses.
  I think, Mr. Speaker, as we continue to head down the days to the 
State of the Union, we know that there will be a lot of things said, 
and we know that the American people are going to be paying more 
attention than they were paying even last year to the President's State 
of the Union for the following reason: States, come this February 5, 
Super Tuesday, will stand in judgment of those that will replace the 
President of the United States because of term limits, will be the 
nominee on both sides, and they will be paying attention to the issues. 
Well, I want to make sure that my colleagues know and all of my 
colleagues know in Congress and also in the executive branch, those of 
us that are ``working to make this government better,'' that we 
understand our responsibility, because I am a little concerned, Mr. 
Speaker, that some may feel that one can play Presidential politics as 
real Americans are going through real life issues, and I think that 
it's important that we don't allow that season to seep into this 
Chamber or seep into the Senate or seep into the President's office to 
logjam what we must do on behalf of the American people. It's okay to 
take a stand and say, This is what I would like to have, but it's 
another thing when one goes out of their way to stop progress, and I 
think that progress is something that we must work on very hard.
  I want to, Mr. Speaker, share a couple of more points with you 
tonight. I think it's important that we look at the fact that we are 
still in a very difficult situation and we look at putting together 
this stimulus package, and I am speaking to the administration and 
those that are coming up with the budget, the Office of Management and 
Budget over in the President's executive branch. And also as agencies 
start to move their budget requests forward, there is a number of 
Members of Congress that are concerned about that very number to the 
far end, $1.19 trillion over the last 6 years, and the Federal debt 
continuing to rise, compared to the 224-year history of this country, 
from 1776 to 2000, $1.01 trillion. Forty-two Presidents weren't able to 
come up with that number, and we are about to double that number now. A 
lot of that number was brought about up until

[[Page H267]]

2006, and we have worked very hard to bring that number down in 2007.
  And as you know, there has been a great discussion on the pay-as-you-
go mandate that we have put forth. And I know that the AMT, the 
alternative minimum tax, to avoid a tax increase on so many Americans 
was held to the last minute and Members had to vote to borrow the money 
to offset that. I'm hoping that as we move forth in the stimulus 
package and as we move forth in other tax reform packages, and I am 
speaking to my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle that 
really strongly supported borrowing the money in both the House and 
Senate, I think that's important that we come together and think about 
not only the future but the present.
  We used to talk about this debt dealing with the future, our children 
and our grandchildren. Well, guess what? The debt that's being 
accumulated now and the posture that this country is in right now in 
the fiscal sense today is dealing with our economy now, is dealing with 
how we are respected by other countries now. We owe more countries more 
money than we ever owed them in the history of the Republic. So that 
means that we are in a position now financially that we have never been 
in before. And so the President takes 8-day tours to other parts of the 
world, which he has done, and I think any world leader must do that. 
Everyone can't come here to the United States. You have to go visit 
them and take part in that cultural exchange and discussion. But I 
think it's also important, Mr. Speaker, when we think about that, when 
the Commander in Chief goes down those steps off of Air Force One, that 
that world leader should not be looking at that Commander in Chief and 
saying, First of all, you owe me money. You owe my country money. You 
borrowed money from us. That should not be the thought in that world 
leader's head. The vision that that world leader should have is, A, 
that I have communications with this world leader. We have a 
relationship. We have one that we can work together in making this 
world safer and also looking at our global economy. As this chart shows 
here, and you've seen it before, the largest foreign holders of U.S. 
national debt. When the Japanese leaders come to the United States or 
we see them abroad, any of our diplomats or what have you, they are 
thinking $644.3 billion and counting, and this number is higher now.
  China as of 11-05 was at $249.8 billion. China now is at 349.6, and 
that number is a little higher than that now, and I know I need to get 
this chart updated. But I think when we look at that and we say that we 
want China to do things better than they are doing as it relates to 
providing products that will be safe for U.S. consumers, but as we look 
at China, I can't help but think about the conversation I had earlier 
today with my colleague Tim Ryan from Ohio, who said that he has had 
1,100 jobs leave in the last 2 months from Youngstown, Ohio, or around 
that Niles, Ohio, area. But meanwhile, not only is China the benefactor 
of those jobs in many cases, but they also have the opportunity to use 
those dollars that they have accumulated off of commerce or what have 
you and use those dollars to buy our debt. So that's a win-win 
situation. Not only am I the recipient of your jobs that used to be 
your jobs, but I am also the recipient of being able to buy your debt 
where you have to pay me back with interest.

  So as we look at this economic stimulus, you have to think about 
what's happening, and that's the reason why I hope that the President 
responds to Speaker Pelosi's letter and also Majority Leader Reid's 
letter, which if he doesn't respond to it, I will have it on the floor 
to ask the President or someone over at the administration to respond 
to it because these are very trying times for everyday Americans. And 
it's not trying times just for Democrats or independents or 
Republicans. We're talking about all Americans and what they are facing 
right now.
  I was about to put this chart up, but let me just point out over 
here, OPEC nations, that's Saudi Arabia. So when the President is over 
there meeting with the leadership in Saudi Arabia, with the King, 
Prince, and what have you, they can't help but think, You owe me money. 
You owe Saudi Arabia money. So when you look at this debt that is 
record breaking at the $1.19 trillion, that's how we're getting there. 
We are getting there with an administration putting forth budgets that 
are still borrowing money and also holding the Congress hostage and 
getting us into a position to where now the American people will have 
to pay through the nose or lose tax benefits to continue that 
philosophy.
  So I think the key would be a more bipartisan effort here in this 
House and in the Senate to pass a good stimulus package, hopefully in 
concert with the President. But if it's not in concert with the 
President and the administration, and Secretary Paulson is going to 
have a lot to do with that and a lot to say about that, the Secretary 
of the Treasury, and if that does not happen, since there have been 
committee hearings and there have been Budget and Ways and Means and 
Financial Services and other committee meetings and the American people 
have had an opportunity to hear hours and hours of debate on the 
committee level and also here in this Chamber, this may very well be a 
sign to put together a stimulus package and at least stand next to our 
work product and not whither under the President's threat of a veto. If 
he does veto it, that means we have to go back to the drawing board if 
there are 40 Members that are willing to stand with the President.
  I would also add that in the 30-Something Working Group, we always 
take an opportunity to show illustrations of what we're talking about 
here. This is the veto where 40-plus Republicans went down to the White 
House and stood with the President when we put requirements on the 
administration to make sure that we have accountability measures on the 
Iraq spending bill. And this was something that the American people 
wanted, something that I believe had a big part of Democrats taking 
over the Congress, and we found ourselves in a situation being denied 
that opportunity to bring that kind of accountability to the issue in 
Iraq and the spending in Iraq and the lack of accountability in Iraq 
with 40 of our Republican colleagues plus going down to the White House 
saying, We stand with you Mr. President.
  Now, I pulled that picture out just to say that it did happen and 
that it can happen. Do we want that to happen again? No. Can we work 
these issues out before we get to the point of the President saying, 
``I have to veto,'' and a bus has to pull out in front of the Capitol 
and just over 40 Republicans get on that bus and go down to the White 
House and say, We stand with you, Mr. President, and God bless America 
and apple pie and Chevy trucks? We don't necessarily need to do that. 
We can head that off if we know that we need to work in a bipartisan 
way, and we are asking for that to happen here on the majority side.

                              {time}  1800

  The State of the Union is a very, very important time for the 
country, and also for the world. I took the opportunity today to pull 
some of the statements from the 2007 State of the Union. I think that 
it's important for us to look at what has transpired and what has not 
transpired; just some of the things that were said that have not come 
to reality or have not come to being a part of Federal law.
  I think when you start dealing with issues such as health care, 
there's good lofty words that can be used, and during the President's 
talk on health care he said, a future hope and opportunity requires 
that all of the citizens have affordable and available health care.
  The Republican record on that has been the President's tax deduction 
plan, which would do nothing to reinvest a majority of the 47 million 
Americans in his plan. And he also makes the health care problem even 
worse, a plan of raising taxes on many middle-class families and also 
undermining the employer-provided insurance health program over the 
next 6 to 8 years.
  Now, I think it's important that we look at this issue, and we try to 
look at this issue, talking about a Democratic approach of dealing with 
that health care, and starting this issue with our very newly born 
citizens to this great country of ours through the SCHIP program. And 
our plan, looking at the direction that we were heading in, we were 
working to increase the availability of health care insurance to 
children, those that are in need the most,

[[Page H268]]

and that was through the SCHIP program. And we were not able to do 
that, even after one, two, three attempts to get that SCHIP bill past 
the President's desk without the veto that he actually carried out and 
without a continued threat of a veto if we were to send it.
  We did reauthorize the bill for another year, but that is not 
addressing many of the issues that are facing Americans right now, and 
I think as we start to look at this issue, Mr. Speaker and Members, we 
have to look at it from the standpoint of we have to start somewhere. 
What better place to start than dealing with our children? I think that 
it's important that we move in that direction.
  Fiscal discipline and the economy. We talked about that, and some of 
that will be placed in this State of the Union, I am sure. I don't 
think the President can come in here in another 12 days or so and not 
talk about the economy. I mean it's almost like an elephant standing 3 
feet in front of me, and I'm saying, I don't see the elephant. I don't 
see what you're talking about. That is the situation right now in 
dealing with the economy.
  Another slogan issue, not really a plan, but a plan that's released 
nine times out of 10 in the budget or a piece of legislation, the 
President says, together we can balance the budget.
  Well, let's look at that statement. ``Together we can balance the 
budget.'' Well, over the last 6 years President Bush has not put forth 
one balanced budget plan. First you have got to start with that. You 
have got to put on the table the work product that will actually 
balance the budget.
  I think that when you look at historic numbers, where we are now, we 
turned a $5.6 trillion surplus into more than a $3 trillion deficit. 
The fastest growing item in the budget is interest payments to foreign 
countries that I have put up on this chart. It may not be the most 
exciting thing in the world, but I can tell you, once we start to 
really start moving down and paying down this debt, the goalpost 
continues to move further and further away because of the fact that we 
are not working together to make sure that we can balance this budget. 
The President said, Together we can balance the budget. Well, just 
because he says it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to happen.
  So when we start to move down the track, Mr. Speaker, in closing, 
looking at the economy; looking at the fact that the American people 
expect for us to work together, which we should; looking at the fact 
that this is not the centerpiece or peak of the political season, but 
there's a lot being said on both sides, Democrat and Republican, and I 
think it's important for us to look at the past, learn from the past, 
hopefully for a brighter future, looking at the past, what has happened 
and what has not happened, and looking at a brighter future.
  The first session of the 110th Congress was a good session and a lot 
was done in the first session. I think it's important too, when we look 
at the past and start looking towards the future, in the first session 
of the 110th Congress, the 9/11 Commission recommendations to protect 
America from terrorism, passed, signed into law; the largest college 
student aid expansion since 1944; the GI Bill, that saved average 
students $4,400, that is in their pockets, passed, signed into law; the 
first minimum wage increase in a decade, there's a pay raise for 33 
million Americans, that comes in handy now, passed, signed into law; 
Innovation agenda promoting 21st century jobs, passed, put into law. 
That is coming back towards making sure we are able to stay competitive 
with other nations.
  The tough lobbying and ethics reform bill that was just held by 
independent reform groups, passed, signed into law; reconstruction and 
assistance of the Gulf Coast devastated hurricane areas, passed, signed 
into law. That was a long fought effort that was something where the 
people in the gulf coast asked for fairness, equity, and attention from 
this government. We were able to bring that to fruition through the 
first session of the 110th Congress, which is a Democratic Congress.
  I can tell you there are a number of issues that have not been 
resolved, that were attempted to get resolved, but I think that some of 
those issues, we look at the expansion of research of stem cells, 
passed, was not signed by the President. Also, health care for 10 
million children of working families, passed, not signed into law. 
Vetoed.
  We also look at the other major, major pieces of legislation that 
were even threatened by veto that were stalled in the legislative 
process because the President issued a veto threat.
  I think that as we look at the past success that we have had in a 
bipartisan way, and as we look at the future of what the American 
people are going through now and what they will be going through in the 
coming months, I think now more than ever in any other time since I 
have been in Congress, and it's now my third term, that the American 
people need us. The American people need us to work together like no 
other time in recent history.
  Some forecasters have said this is going to be a pretty bad economic 
downturn. A lot of folks are using the R word, the recession word. We 
have to work together so that the American people don't suffer, and we 
will work together, especially on the majority side, in hopefully a 
bipartisan spirit to allow that to happen. But there has to be the will 
and the desire on behalf of the minority party, which is the Republican 
Party here in this Congress, and the spirit and desire on behalf of the 
administration to get something done.
  I think the President should be more motivated than any other time in 
his Presidency to make this right and to be what he said he was in his 
first campaign, that he is a uniter and not a divider, a uniter and not 
a divider. I think the American people need to see that played out in 
this last year that he will be serving as President of the United 
States.
  Once again, the majority in the House and Senate, the only way we can 
achieve bipartisanship is if the majority allows it. We know that the 
majority has the will and the desire to allow that to happen. The 
question is, the President and the administration, do they have the 
will and desire to allow bipartisanship to work between the legislative 
branch and between the executive branch?
  I hope and I pray, especially on behalf of those that are punching in 
and punching out every day, on behalf of those that their only income 
is a Social Security check and what their family assists them with to 
keep the lights on, keep food in the refrigerator, I hope on behalf of 
those that are in harm's way, fighting on behalf of our country in 
Afghanistan and also in Iraq, and those that are deployed in military 
installations throughout the world, that their mother or their family 
members are able to survive here under this economy and the direction 
that it's headed in.
  It's going to take bipartisanship. That means we need to rise up 
above Democrat and Republican, rise up over our differences, and stand 
on behalf of the American people who are counting on us.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, it's always an honor to come to the floor and 
address the Members. The 30-Something Working Group will continue to 
work hard on behalf of the common good, and also bipartisanship in the 
House and in the Senate, and hopefully with the administration. But we 
ask for the Members, if they have any questions or anyone has any 
questions or would like to share a story, that they can contact us at 
[email protected], or just visit www.speaker.gov/
30something, and we would love to have a conversation with you. Also if 
you wish to share your stories about what is actually happening in your 
hometown or happening with your business and what it will mean to you 
for us to work in a bipartisan way.
  I think that is the spirit we want to pick up and the spirit that we 
want to have so that we can get something done on behalf of the 
American people.

                          ____________________